Oral devices

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for reducing obstructive sleep apnea, snoring and/or nasal drainage. One apparatus includes an upper member fitting the interior and exterior surfaces of a user&#39;s upper dentition, and a lower member fitting similarly adjacent a user&#39;s lower dentition. The lower member includes eyeteeth extensions projecting away from the lower member. The upper member includes molar extensions projecting away from the upper member and toward the member molar regions so that when the user bites or clenches, the upper right and lower right extensions impinge on one another in substantially overlapping fashion, as do the upper left and lower left extensions. The upper and lower members have an anterior shape to form a gap sufficient for the user&#39;s tongue to extend into the gap, and each molar extension may include a magnet. Methods of using the apparatus and kits to reduce sleep apnea, snoring, and/or nasal drainage.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to oral devices for reducing oreliminating obstructive sleep apnea, snoring and/or nasal drainage.

2. Background Art

Sleep apnea is a reduction in the blood oxygen level due to any cause.The present disclosure relates to “obstructive sleep apnea”, which isproblematic for many people—about 12 to 18 million people in the UnitedStates as of 2008. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) involves a reduction inbreathing, called hypopneas, or a complete halt in airflow, calledapneas, during sleep. Most pauses last 10 to 30 seconds, but some maypersist for one minute or longer, according to the American Academy ofSleep Medicine. See Landers, S J, “Link strengthened between sleep apneaand mortality risk”, amednews, Sep. 1, 2008. As indicated in thisarticle, apnea has been linked to higher mortality risks.

There are of course many known devices which claim to reduce oreliminate OSA, and these devices typically fall in two categories:external masks, such as the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)masks; and oral devices, sometimes referred to as mandibular splints.Pharmaceuticals comprise another category. The present disclosureinvolves the oral device or mandibular splint category.

Another discomfort is nasal or sinus drainage, sometimes referred to asnasal or sinus congestion, nasal or sinus drip, nasal or sinusirritation. The term “nasal drainage” is used herein to include all ofthese conditions unless otherwise noted. Non-oral products, such asadhesive strips positioned on the nose, may relieve some of thesesymptoms. However, nasal strips may only reduce anterior (frontal)congestion, and not posterior (throat) congestion.

Many of the known oral devices are uncomfortable and/or complicated,leading to reduced use. Furthermore, their use in humans may reducespeaking substantially, or at least the ability to speak understandably.In my co-pending application Ser. No. 13/456,682, filed Apr. 26, 2012,now published as 20130284184A1 on Oct. 31, 2013, incorporated herein byreference, certain embodiments include left and right ramps designed tomove the lower mandible (lower jaw) downward as it moves backward towarda users throat. While I have found devices of this nature to beeffective in reducing or eliminating my sleep apnea and snoring, and meta long felt and unmet need for an oral device, apparatus or kit, andmethods of using these, to efficiently, safely and comfortably reduce orprevent OSA, snoring, and/or nasal drainage, the shape of the ramps maybe complicated to manufacture. In particular, the ramps disclosed in myprevious patent application each have complicated mating surfaces.Considering FIG. 8 of my previous patent application, specifically theright ramp, the right ramp may be described as being defined by threeupper right surfaces or faces, with smooth transitions from face toface, and three mating lower right surfaces or faces, that interface andthat must move smoothly against each other at any given time: a flatfront, generally horizontal face, a generally slanted face, and agenerally flat rear, generally horizontal face. The same may be said ofthe left ramp. Therefore, each side has three interfaces, for a total ofsix interfaces for the device, which must move smoothly to becomfortable and effective for users.

Another device, disclosed in WO20100093264A1, is designed for use inmedical procedures to repair damaged facial features. The devicesinclude left and right forward inclined ramps on the lower tray of thedevice. Ramps of suitable height could alternately be positioned on theupper tray only, or on both trays. However, this device also includesengagement features to engage posterior portions of upper and lowertrays to stabilize the upper and lower trays relative to one another,and thereby stabilize the subject's upper and lower jaw relative to oneanother, in contrast to the goal of the present devices. Suchstabilization in devices designed to prevent snoring and/or sleep apneaare highly undesirable, as they lead to jaw soreness and stiffness, andultimately lead to non-use.

I have now designed an oral device that reduces possible alignmentproblems with my previous device and devices of like nature, and whichis easier to manufacture.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present disclosure, oral devices, apparatus andkits are presented, as well as methods of using same, which reduce orovercome one or more of the problems of obstructive sleep apnea, snoringand other loss of sleep issues, and/or nasal drainage.

A first aspect of the disclosure is an apparatus (the words “apparatus”and “oral device” are used interchangeably herein) comprising:

upper and lower generally arched-shaped members configured to fitadjacent at least a portion of interior and exterior surfaces of auser's upper and lower dentitions, respectively, the upper and lowergenerally arched-shaped members comprising an identical moldable,biocompatible polymeric material;

the lower generally arch-shaped member comprising lower right and lowerleft generally arch-shaped eyeteeth extensions of the same moldable,biocompatible polymeric material formed integrally therewith,transitioning smoothly to a flat generally horizontal molar areaadjacent left and right lower molar areas, and the upper generallyarch-shaped member comprising upper right and upper left molarextensions of the same moldable, biocompatible polymeric material formedintegrally therewith, the upper molar extensions projecting generallyperpendicularly away from the upper generally arch-shaped member andgenerally toward a flat generally horizontal molar area adjacent leftand right lower molar areas of the lower generally arch-shaped member;

the molar extensions and generally arch-shaped eyeteeth extensionsconfigured such that when the user bites, the molar extensions impingeon the eyeteeth extensions at respective left and right elongate,continuous, non-undulating, forward-inclined ramps extending from aright posterior position to each respective arch, the right and leftforward-inclined ramps each angled at a substantially equal non-zeroramp angle to a plane defined by the mandible;

the molar extensions, eyeteeth extensions, and ramp angle furtherconfigured such that, when the apparatus is in a user's mouth, the lowerdentition, the lower generally arched-shaped member, and mandible arenot constrained in forward movement, and allow the lower generallyarch-shaped member, lower dentition and mandible to move downward whenmoved back toward the user's throat, tending to keep a user's throatairway open; and

the upper and lower generally arch-shaped members, and anterior surfacesof the generally arch-shaped lower eyeteeth extensions, configured toform a gap sufficient for at least a portion of the user's tongue toextend forward into the gap without being impeded in forward movement bythe apparatus.

In certain embodiments, the moldable, biocompatible polymeric materialis selected from the group consisting of synthetic and naturalmaterials. In certain apparatus the moldable, biocompatible polymericmaterial is selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes,polysulfones, polycarboxylates, perfluorinated polymers, polyacrylics,polyvinyls, polyvinyl alcohols, silicones, polyolefins, and blends andcopolymers thereof. In certain apparatus the moldable, biocompatiblepolymeric material is selected from a durable fade-resistant acrylicthat retains its shape and color for at least four years, and a verypliable, soft, custom-injected silicone.

In certain embodiments, the upper and lower generally arched-shapedmembers each consist essentially of an identical moldable, biocompatiblepolymeric material. In certain embodiments, one or more of the molarextensions may have a magnet embedded therein, for example,non-attracting magnets in opposing molar extensions that repel andgently overcome the tendency of the user to close the jaws. Any of theapparatus described herein may be part of a kit comprising one or bothupper and lower generally arch-shaped members substantially as describedherein, in certain embodiments packaged in a carrying case.

Further aspects and advantages of apparatus and methods of the presentdisclosure will become apparent by reviewing the detailed descriptionthat follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 3 are perspective views, and FIG. 2 is an explodedperspective view, of one apparatus or kit embodiment within the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another apparatus or kit embodimentwithin the present disclosure.

It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings are not to scaleand illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure, and aretherefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the apparatus,kits, and methods of the disclosure may admit to other equally effectiveembodiments. Identical reference numerals are used throughout theseveral views for like or similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous details are set forth to providean understanding of the disclosed oral devices, kits and methods oftheir use. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat the oral devices, kits, and methods covered by the claims may bepracticed without these details and that numerous variations ormodifications from the specifically described embodiments may bepossible and are deemed within the claims. All U.S. published patentapplications and U.S. Patents referenced herein are hereby explicitlyincorporated herein by reference. In the event definitions of terms inthe referenced patents and applications conflict with how those termsare defined in the present application, the definitions for those termsthat are provided in the present application shall be deemedcontrolling.

As used herein the phrase “generally arched-shaped” means the shape of amember resembles an arch in the same way that the upper and lower teethof a user resemble arches. The phrase “adjacent at least a portion ofinterior and exterior surfaces”, as that term is used herein whenreferring to the “upper and lower generally arched-shaped membersconfigured to fit adjacent at least a portion of interior and exteriorsurfaces of a user's upper and lower dentitions”, means that thesemembers are adjacent to and touching at least one surface of the upperor lower teeth concerned, but some “looseness” is allowed, so that themembers may move away from the teeth slightly, for example if thematerial of the member stretches or deforms, such as during insertioninto or removal from the mouth. The terms “eyeteeth extension” and“molar extension” are meant to convey general location, and do not meanthat the extensions are always precisely covering eyeteeth or all molarsin those locations; in other words, a they are meant to be relativeterms, such as front and back, upper and lower, and the like, arerelative terms. “Eyeteeth” or “eyetooth” location is generally betweenlower (mandibular) molars and lower incisors; “molar” is generally uppermolar, although lower molar areas may have slight extensions. As usedherein the term “user” means a human or other mammal that employs anapparatus of this disclosure in its mouth. The term “subject” may alsobe used and is considered interchangeable with the term “user.” As usedherein the term “non-undulating” means lacking any feature or featuresthat would tend to immobilize the mandible with respect to the upperjaw, and/or that might accumulate food particles, including, but notlimited to, surface roughness, fasteners such as adhesives and hook andloop fasteners, and shapes such as saw tooth steps.

The present disclosure relates generally to apparatus, kits, and methodsfor reducing or eliminating sleep and other disorders, and morespecifically to apparatus for reducing or eliminating obstructive sleepapnea (OSA), snoring, and/or nasal drainage. A particular use forapparatus and kits of this disclosure is for humans, but they may alsobe used for other mammals. Certain embodiments may also be used asathletic mouth guards for upper, lower, or both dentitions.

In certain embodiments, the gap (denoted G1 in the various figures) mayhave a distance ranging from about 1 to about 20 mm, or from about 5 toabout 15 mm.

The lateral length of the upper and lower molar extensions, i.e., thedistance from the posterior terminus to the anterior terminus of a givenmolar extension, may be 10 mm or more, or may range from 10 to about 50mm or from about 12 to about 24 mm.

In certain embodiments the lower, generally arch-shaped eyeteethextensions may have a vertical height of 20 mm or less (in certainembodiments 16 mm or less, in certain embodiments 10 mm or less) attheir anterior terminus, decreasing toward the posterior terminus, asillustrated herein in the various figures. The lower, generallyarch-shaped eyeteeth extensions essentially comprise the entire verticallength at the anterior terminus, while the upper molar extensionsessentially comprise the entire vertical length at the posteriorterminus.

In certain embodiments the upper and lower members each may comprise amoldable material selected from the group consisting of synthetic andnatural materials. Synthetic materials may be selected from the groupconsisting of polymeric materials, as further discussed herein. Incertain apparatus the arch-shaped members and the molar extensionscomprise a polymeric material.

In certain embodiments, the molar extensions and eyeteeth extensions maycomprise at least one magnet. In certain embodiments the magnets areembedded in the polymeric material of the molar and eyeteeth extensions.In certain embodiments, an upper right magnet has polarity opposite thatof a lower right magnet, and an upper left magnet has a polarityopposite that of a lower left magnet. In certain embodiments, themagnets may be flat shaped and embedded into the plastic of the molarand eyeteeth extensions. In certain embodiments, such as illustrated inFIG. 4, the flat-shaped magnets may have a north pole on one of theirmajor surfaces and a south pole on its other major surface.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 there is illustrated schematically aperspective view of one apparatus 100 in accordance with the disclosure.Apparatus embodiment 100 includes an upper generally arch-shaped member2 and a lower generally arch-shaped member 4. Upper generallyarch-shaped member 2 includes an exterior wall 8 and an interior wall10, custom-shaped for the user's upper dentition, and which togetherdefine a trough 6 for friction fitting adjacent the upper dentition of auser. An upper connecting portion 12 connects exterior wall 8 andinterior wall 10. Connecting portion 12 may be rather thin or pointed inthe area of the front teeth, and rather flat or planar in the area ofthe back molar teeth. Similarly, lower generally arch-shaped member 4includes an exterior wall 14, and an interior wall 16. A lowerconnecting portion 18 connects walls 14 and 16, and as with upperconnecting portion 12, lower connecting portion 18 may be rather thin orpointed near the front teeth of the user, and rather flat or planar nearthe lower molars of the user.

Embodiment 100 includes a lower left, generally arch-shaped eye toothextension 20 and an upper left molar extension 22, each extendinggenerally perpendicularly away from their respective members. FIG. 2illustrates schematically upper generally arch-shaped member 2 in a 180degree flip from its “in use” position to more clearly illustrate alower right, generally arch-shaped eye tooth extension 24 and an upperright molar extension 26. Members 2 and 4, as well as extensions 20, 22,24, and 26 may comprise the same moldable polymeric material. Lowergenerally arch-shaped member 4 may comprise, or consist essentially of,or consist of lower left and lower right generally arch-shaped eyeteethextensions (20, 24) of the same moldable, biocompatible polymericmaterial formed integrally therewith. Upper generally arch-shaped member2 may comprise, or consist essentially of, or consist of upper left andupper right molar extensions (22, 26) of the same moldable,biocompatible polymeric material formed integrally therewith. Uppermolar extensions 22, 26 project generally perpendicularly away fromupper generally arch-shaped member 2 and generally toward respectivelower molar regions of member 4 in mating configuration.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate schematically an offset or ramp R between upperportion 2 and lower portion 4 created by a left ramp area (RL) and aright ramp area (RR). Extensions 20, 22, 24, and 26 are configured suchthat when the user bites, upper right molar extension 26 impinges onlower right eye tooth extension 24 at an elongate, continuous,non-undulating, forward-inclined right ramp RR extending from a rightposterior position to a right anterior position 30, and upper left molarextension 22 impinges on lower left eye tooth extension 20 at anelongate, continuous, non-undulating, forward-inclined left ramp RLextending from a left posterior position to a left anterior position 28,the right and left forward-inclined ramps RR, RL each angled at asubstantially equal non-zero ramp angle β to a plane 32 roughly definedby the mandible of the user (FIG. 3). In certain embodiments the rampangle may range from about 5 to about 35 degrees, or from about 10 toabout 25 degrees.

Extensions 20, 22, 24, and 26 and ramp angle β are selected andconfigured such that, when the apparatus is in a user's mouth, the lowerdentition, lower generally arched-shaped member 4, and mandible are notconstrained in forward (anterior) movement, and allow lower generallyarch-shaped member 4, lower dentition and mandible to move downward whenmoved back (posterior) toward the user's throat, tending to keep auser's throat airway open. Furthermore, upper and lower generallyarch-shaped members 2, 4, and anterior surfaces 28, 30 of lower,generally arch-shaped eyeteeth extensions 20, 24, are configured to forma gap G1 sufficient for at least a portion of the user's tongue toextend forward into the gap without being impeded in forward movement bythe apparatus, and without the tongue being constrained, pulled orgrabbed in any way.

During use, lower left generally arch-shaped eye tooth extension 20 mayslidingly move adjacent matching tapered upper left molar extension 22in the area of left ramp area RL (FIGS. 1 and 3), where faces ofextensions 20 and 22 may slide against each other at ramp angle β.Similarly on the right side, lower right generally arch-shaped eye toothextension 24 may slidingly move adjacent matching tapered upper rightmolar extension 26 (not viewable in FIGS. 1 and 3, but illustrated inexploded view of FIG. 2). Ramps RL and RR allow free and unlimitedforward movement of the lower dentition, the lower generallyarched-shaped member 4, and mandible and create a tendency for the lowergenerally arch-shaped member 4, lower dentition and mandible to movedownward as they move back toward the user's throat. Movement of thelower jaw backwards is a natural movement during sleep. As this occurs,embodiment 100 will tend to keep the airway open by creating a gapbetween upper portion 2 and lower portion 4, near the front teeth, asindicated by double-headed arrow G1 in FIGS. 1 and 3, and partiallydefined by space between anterior portions of lower extensions 20, 24.This gap may be important in methods of reducing nasal drainage, perhapsmore important than forward movement of the lower jaw.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another apparatus or kit embodiment 200within the present disclosure. As generally may be seen in FIG. 4,magnets 40 and 42 have, in this embodiment, a specific spatialrelationship. The respective north and south poles of these magnets arearranged so that when placed as viewed in FIG. 4, they willsubstantially repel one another by virtue of their respective magneticfield lines being unable to cross, forcing the mandible down if itshould move posteriorly, for example naturally during sleep, orotherwise. Other magnets may be present, arranged similarly with thesame spatial and magnetic relationship, in lower and upper rightextensions 24, 26. As this occurs, embodiment 200 will tend to keep auser's airway open by creating a gap between upper portion 2 and lowerportion 4, near the front teeth, as indicated by double-headed arrow G1in FIG. 3 through action of ramps RR and RL combined with repellingaction of the magnets. Note that the magnetic poles of each magnet couldbe reversed to arrive at substantially the same embodiment. In bothembodiment 200 and its “reverse” poles sister embodiment, there will bemagnetic repulsion between magnets 40, 42, as well as between similarmagnets on right side. In certain embodiments, repelling magnets mayonly be required on the left or the right, depending on the muscularstrength of the user's jaw muscles. In this embodiment and others likeit, the magnetic attraction and repulsion thus may be adjusted dependingon the particular user, for example the strength of the user's jawmuscles.

The materials of construction of the upper and lower general arch-shapedmembers and integral extensions may comprise any moldable plastic(polymeric) material that is approved for use in oral medical devicesand appliances for human use and that may be custom fitted for each userand tooth-retained via friction grip, and materials approved for animaluse. The members may comprise a single material, or combination ofmaterials. The members may comprise more than one layer of material, andeach layer may be the same or different. The polymeric materials may befilled with various fillers, extenders, pigments, and other additives.In embodiments consisting essentially of moldable, biocompatiblepolymeric material, these fillers, extenders, pigments, and otheradditives are present in limited amounts to the extent necessary tosubstantially exceed minimum safety and effectiveness standards.Suitable polymeric materials include thermoplastics, thermosettingpolymers, elastomers, and thermoplastic elastomers. The polymericmaterials may comprise co-polymers, ter-polymers, and blends of two ormore chemical types of polymers, or blends of two or more polymers ofthe same chemical type, for example, a blend of two thermoplasticshaving different molecular weights.

Examples of specific polymers include polyacrylics, polyvinyls,polyvinyl alcohols, and the like. An example of a suitable polymericmaterial is a durable fade-proof acrylic that retains its shape andcolor for at least four-five years. Another example is made of a verypliable, soft, custom-injected silicone. Another example is a polymericmaterial compatible with home/office based bleaching techniques, such asthe material used to make an OSAP device, and materials that can bemolded into a ready-made semi-universal trial version, which may besuitable for patients who cannot endure having their impressions taken.In addition, the trial version is an inexpensive way to test aparticular patients' tolerance to oral therapy. Another example is thematerial used in the device known under the trade designation SAGA. Thisdevice consists of a hard acrylic shell laminated to a soft vinyl liner.Another example is the acrylic material (Bruxeze™) that softens in hotwater to provide a combination of comfort, strength, and retention, andwhich is used in the Adjustable PM Positioner™, an appliance that fitsover all maxillary and mandibular teeth. Another example are thematerials used in the device known as SomnoGuard® AP, which consists ofan upper and a lower tray each made of two materials. The outer trayshells consist of solid clear and transparent medical gradepolycarbonate. The inner lining which accommodates the teeth impressionsis made of a thermoplastic copolymer. After the oral appliance is heatedin a hot water bath its thermoplastic body molds easily to the teeth andjaws allowing any medical doctor to fit the device chair side. Yetanother example is the material employed in the device known asSomnoGuard AP Pro®, which is a dental lab made two-part mandibularadjustable positioner to treat snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea,and comprises common acrylic/elastomeric thermoform dental materialsavailable in any dental lab after taking impressions of the lower andupper jaws and producing plaster models. Other polymeric materials thatmay be useful include nitinol, silicone, a PET, or any otherbiocompatible polymeric material. Other possible examples include PTFE,e-PTFE, polypropylene, polyurethane, polycarbonate, polyethyleneterephthalate, stainless steel, titanium, tantalum, gold, polyvinidylenefluoride and combinations thereof. “Biocompatibility” may be determinedin accordance with national and/or international standards, such as ISO10993.

The molar and eyeteeth extensions are integrally molded with theirrespective upper or lower generally arch-shaped members as illustratedschematically in FIGS. 1-4 using special molds. In order to achievebetter fit, for example between ramps, the ramps may be built up byapplying a paste or solution of polymeric precursor materials andswabbing the precursors materials on the appropriate areas. In certainembodiments, this may need to be done repeatedly to build up the molarextension to functional length.

Magnets which may be useful in apparatus of this disclosure include rareearth magnets, such as samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron magnets.It has become possible to produce magnets with small enough dimensionsfor dental applications and yet still provide the necessary forces.Certain embodiments may employ magnets of the “closed field” type. Inthis type of system, a soft magnetic or ferromagnetic material, such asferritic or martensitic stainless steel or Pd—Co—Ni alloy, is implantedinto the jaw, rather than a magnet, to provide attractive force to holdthe denture in place. This implant is known as a “keeper”. In thisconfiguration, the magnetic field lines are shunted through the keeperas it is the path of minimum energy and there is no magnetic fieldexperienced in the oral cavity. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,659,771, 5,678,998,5,013,243 and 6,299,450 describe small yet powerful magnets forcooperating with a non-magnet implanted “keeper” for denture attachment.The non-magnet keeper is made of a magnet-attracted material, such as asoft magnetic or ferromagnetic material, but is not a permanent magnet.U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,373 describes a removable orthodontic appliancehaving two permanent magnets carried by two caps, respectively, havingfacing poles which are in registry when the mouth is normally closed,exerting a magnetic force in a direction substantially normal to theocclusal plane. The opposing magnets have confronting poles withlike-polarity such that the magnets repel and develop intrusive forcesupon the respective teeth. U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,767 discloses both fixedand removable orthodontic devices that use magnets. The magnets aresecured to removable or fixed orthodontic devices and are positionedbilaterally in the posterior molar regions. The faces of the magnets areoriented such that they repel each other, thereby creating magneticforces parallel to the occlusal plane for urging the mandible forward.

According to U.S. Pat. No. 7,712,468, which discloses a removablemagnetic dental appliance, the magnetic orthodontic devices describedabove employ “open field” magnetic configurations, which are potentiallyharmful to the local tissues in the oral cavity, especially since thedevices are designed for long-term use. Furthermore, the appliances areuncomfortable to wear.

Any of the magnets discussed in these patent and publications would beuseable in apparatus and kits disclosed herein.

Although the foregoing description is intended to be representative ofapparatus, kits, and methods in accordance with the present disclosure,it is not intended to in any way limit the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An anti-snoring oral device comprising: separate one-piece upper and lower trays, the upper tray defining an upper tray plane, the lower tray defining a lower tray plane, each tray having an incisor portion, left and right canine portions, and left and right molar portions, the trays made of identical medically-approved polymeric material conformable to the incisor, canine, and molar portions; the lower tray comprising a left and a right arcuate canine extension formed integrally with the lower tray and projecting perpendicularly away from the lower tray and toward the left and right upper canine portions, each left and right arcuate canine extension having a top arcuate surface transitioning uniformly in height from a maximum at the left and right lower canine portions downward to planar left and right lower molar portions; the upper tray comprising a left and a right arcuate molar extension formed integrally with the upper tray and projecting perpendicularly away from the upper tray and toward the left and right lower molar portions, each left and right arcuate molar extension having a matching bottom arcuate surface transitioning uniformly in depth from a minimum depth at the left and right upper canine portions and increasing in depth to matching planar left and right upper molar portions of constant depth; the bottom arcuate surfaces of the left and right arcuate molar extensions and the top arcuate surfaces of the left and right arcuate canine extensions mating at left and right forward-inclined ramps behind the left and right lower canine portions and forward of the planar left and right lower molar portions, the left and right forward-inclined ramps at an equal non-zero angle to the lower tray plane; and the constant depth of the planar left and right upper molar portions sufficient to produce a gap between upper and lower incisor tray portions when the bottom arcuate surfaces of the left and right arcuate molar extensions impinge on the top arcuate surfaces of the left and right arcuate canine extensions.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of synthetic and natural materials.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polysulfones, polycarboxylates, perfluorinated polymers, polyacrylics, polyvinyls, polyvinyl alcohols, silicones, polyolefins, and blends and copolymers thereof.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the polymeric material is selected from polyacrylics and silicones.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gap ranges from about 5 to about 15 mm.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the molar extensions have a lateral length of 10 mm or more.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the depth of the molar extensions is 20 mm or less.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the angle ranges from about 5 to about 35 degrees.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the angle ranges from about 10 to about 25 degrees.
 10. An anti-snoring oral device consisting of: separate one-piece upper and lower trays, the upper tray defining an upper tray plane, the lower tray defining a lower tray plane, each tray having an incisor portion, left and right canine portions, and left and right molar portions, the trays made of identical medically-approved polymeric material conformable to the incisor, canine, and molar portions; the lower tray comprising a left and a right arcuate canine extension formed integrally with the lower tray and projecting perpendicularly away from the lower tray and toward the left and right upper canine portions, each left and right arcuate canine extension having a top arcuate surface transitioning uniformly in height from a maximum at the left and right lower canine portions downward to planar left and right lower molar portions; the upper tray comprising a left and a right arcuate molar extension formed integrally with the upper tray and projecting perpendicularly away from the upper tray and toward the left and right lower molar portions, each left and right arcuate molar extension having a matching bottom arcuate surface transitioning uniformly in depth from a minimum depth at the left and right upper canine portions and increasing in depth to matching planar left and right upper molar portions of constant depth; the bottom arcuate surfaces of the left and right arcuate molar extensions and the top arcuate surfaces of the left and right arcuate canine extensions mating at left and right forward-inclined ramps behind the left and right lower canine portions and forward of the planar left and right lower molar portions, the left and right forward-inclined ramps at an equal non-zero angle to the lower tray plane; and the constant depth of the planar left and right upper molar portions sufficient to produce a gap between upper and lower incisor tray portions when the bottom arcuate surfaces of the left and right arcuate molar extensions impinge on the top arcuate surfaces of the left and right arcuate canine extensions. 